From 'isolated leader' to 'agile geopolitical player': Kim Jong-un's rising reputation

Xi Jinping's first visit to North Korea in seven years delivered tangible gains for both sides. China secured Pyongyang's unconditional support on Taiwan and a restoration of ties with its neighbor, while North Korea extracted what amounts to Beijing's tacit acceptance of its nuclear program along with expanded cooperation in economic, military, diplomatic and scientific fields. The results have prompted analysts to credit Kim Jong-un's "balancing diplomacy" between China and Russia — and to reassess the North Korean leader himself.

Xi wrapped up his two-day state visit on Monday after a small-group luncheon with Kim at the Kumsusan State Guesthouse, where the two exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional affairs. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that at the lunch, Xi and Kim "reached important common understandings on the development of China-DPRK relations in the new era" and "held in-depth exchanges of views on safeguarding regional and global peace and stability."

Xinhua added that "both sides deepened and broadened their mutual understanding and charted the direction for future development," and that Xi said he hoped to "lead the China-DPRK relationship to greater development together with General Secretary Kim and inject new and powerful momentum into the socialist endeavors of both countries."

Xi departed for home after the luncheon. Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, held a farewell ceremony at the airport and personally saw off Xi and his wife, maintaining the elaborate protocol that had defined the entire visit.

During the visit, Xi used the summit talks and a joint statement to underscore the two countries' commitment to strengthening strategic communication, expanding practical cooperation and carrying forward their traditional friendship. He proposed broadening exchanges in trade, agriculture, construction, science and technology, and education, culture and sports, and called for continuing high-level contacts. Notably, neither denuclearization nor peace on the Korean Peninsula was mentioned in the talks.

Foreign media interpreted the omission as Beijing effectively giving a pass to North Korea's nuclear program. The episode has also shifted how observers view Kim himself — less the "Rocket Man" of old, more an agile geopolitical operator.

Bloomberg said Xi's visit "signals Kim Jong-un's emergence from isolated leader to agile geopolitical player." The outlet noted that while Kim had previously called Vladimir Putin his "most cherished friend," he described the China-North Korea relationship to Xi as "the most important, top-priority strategic project" — suggesting Kim leveraged China's desire to check the deepening Pyongyang-Moscow axis to extract significant concessions, including tacit acceptance of his nuclear program. Bloomberg concluded that the summit sent a clear message: China, not Russia, remains North Korea's most important partner.

Jenny Town, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, said Russia "has already established itself as a close ally of North Korea within its tight network of friends and partners," and that "adding a high-level relationship with China on top of that clearly demonstrates Kim Jong-un's elevated standing." John Delury, a senior fellow at the Asia Society, said Kim's ideal scenario is "to enjoy strong relationships with both China and Russia without being trapped in a three-way dynamic as a much smaller country."

Japan's Asahi Shimbun offered a broader assessment, arguing that the summit has set the stage for North Korea to continue developing nuclear weapons and missiles while positioning itself for a direct showdown with the United States. The paper said the groundwork has been laid for Pyongyang to seek recognition as a de facto nuclear state and reframe any future negotiations with Washington as arms-reduction talks rather than denuclearization talks. It added that deep international concern persists that President Donald Trump might engage in North Korea-US dialogue on exactly those terms.

Mitsuhiro Mimura, a professor at the University of Niigata Prefecture, said Kim has in effect secured China as a backer in any future dealings with Washington. "The fact that North Korea can count on China's support in North Korea-US dialogue carries great significance," he told Asahi. "There is a possibility that the minimum preconditions for resuming North Korea-US dialogue have now been met."